Contact: Sammy McDavid
A public conference May 19 and 20 at Mississippi State will examine in detail the prairie regions of the central Southeastern United States.
"Blackland Prairies of the Gulf Coastal Plain: Culture, Nature and Sustainability" is the theme of the program at the university's Harned Hall auditorium. In addition to presentations by scientists, researchers and others, the conference will include a field trip on the 20th to Lyon's Bluff, a prehistoric Native American village site and mound in northern Oktibbeha County.
While admission is free, organizer Evan Peacock of MSU's Cobb Institute of Archaeology is asking persons not already registered to give advance notification so adequate seating can be assured. His office telephone number and e-mail address are listed below.
The Cobb Institute is sponsoring the interdisciplinary conference with MSU's biological sciences department and anthropology academic program. Peacock put together the agenda with the assistance of Tim Schauwecker, an MSU doctoral student in plant ecology, and Evan Weiher, a member of the biology faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Clair.
"This program brings together archaeologists, geologists, botanists, paleontologists, biologists, ecologists, public educators, and others, all of whom are interested in the unique prairie ecosystems of this region," Peacock said.
Peacock said the purpose is to examine the role humans have played in shaping the prairie ecosystems over time and to develop management recommendations for their sustainable uses in the future.
In addition to MSU, institutions and agencies taking part in the conference include the Mississippi Museum of Natural History, Texas A&M University, U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish and Arkansas Natural Heritage commissions, Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Starkville High School, Nature Conservancy, and University of Oklahoma, among others.
To register attendance, receive a complete schedule or receive additional information on the conference, contact Peacock by telephone at (662) 325-1663 or e-mail at peacock@anthro.msstate.edu.